Monday Okpebholo of Edo has approved a ₦1 billion annual bursary scheme for students of Edo origin enrolled in tertiary institutions across the country.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday in Benin by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Fred Itua.

According to the statement, Okpebholo pledged during a recent town hall meeting with youths in response to a passionate appeal by several Edo youth leaders.

READ ALSO:Okpebholo Launches 1bn Interest-free Loan For Edo Traders

They had urged the government to provide financial support to indigenes pursuing higher education in universities and other tertiary institutions nationwide.

The governor stated that the bursary, which would be disbursed annually, was designed to alleviate the financial burden on students and their families.

He said that eligibility would be verified through the applicants’ local governments of origin to ensure that only genuine Edo indigenes benefited from the scheme.

READ ALSO:Priotize Okpebholo’s ‘Catch Them Young’ Initiative, Enabulele Charges Sports Association Chairmen

Okpebholo added that the initiative forms part of his administration’s broader commitment to promoting educational access, academic excellence, and youth empowerment.

The governor said details on application procedures and timelines would be released soon by the relevant government departments and agencies.

The Federal Government has granted a two-month extension of amnesty to foreigners who might have overstayed their visas.

The expired visa initiative is to enhance compliance with the new visa regime and reinforce a secure and transparent migration system.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had at a meeting with the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association NECA in March said the government would begin a serious clampdown on irregular migrants in the country as from August 1.

Accordingly, he announced a grace period of three months from May 1, when the new Expatriate Administration System EAS will take place, to August 1, when the government would begin enforcement.

READ ALSO:FG Gives Overstaying Foreigners Ultimatum To Regularise Visa

Providing an update on the issue, the Spokesman of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, said, “The initiative, which commenced on May 1 2025, runs until September 30 2025, and specifically applies to individuals who have either overstayed their visas or violated their visa conditions.”

According to him, the initiative provides a unique window for foreigners currently residing in Nigeria with expired immigration status to regularize their stay without facing penalties.

He said, “⁠The amnesty applies to the following categories: Foreign nationals with Expired Visa on Arrival VoA; Holders of Expired Single and Multiple-Entry Visas; and, Individuals with an Expired Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC), where renewal has exceeded 30 days post-expiration”.

READ ALSO:FG Unveils N50m Grant To Boost Student Innovation, Entrepreneurship

According to him, all affected foreign nationals are urged to promptly regularize their stay through (https://amnesty.immigration.gov.ng) within the grace period to avoid overstay penalties.

“To ensure the Amnesty application process is seamless, the Nigeria Immigration Service has assembled a support team to assist with Amnesty applications. Contact the support team via email at: amnesty@immigration.gov.ng

“The Nigeria Immigration Service remains committed to facilitating lawful migration, safeguarding National Security, and promoting transparency and efficiency across all immigration processes. ⁠For further information, kindly visit the Nigeria Immigration website www.immigration.gov.ng.”

His Lordship, Rt. Rev. Christian Esezi Ide of Warri Diocese of the Anglican Communion, has lamented the deplorable security situation of the country.

Rev. Ide made the remark at the fifteenth synod of the Warri Diocese of the Anglican Communion held at the Cathedral of St Andrew, Warri, with the theme: Overcoming the Birthright of Christians.’

His Lordship, while quoting reports that say that between 2019 and 2023, 55,910 Christians were killed by terrorists and bandits in Nigeria, lamented that 90 per cent of the total number of Christians killed around the globe within this period were Nigerians.

He enjoined the Federal Government to take concrete steps to redress the sad state of insecurity in the country.

READ ALSO: Nigeria No Longer A Democracy, Peter Obi Laments

He said: “The Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa revealed that Nigerians accounted for 90 per cent of all Christians killed worldwide each year; and that between October 2019 and September 2023, a staggering 55,910 people were killed, while 21,000 others were abducted by terrorist groups operating in the region.

“Is this not an indictment of the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christian communities from escalating violence?

“Why should the government sit and watch militant herdsmen steal and vandalise, kill and boast about it, kidnap and rape, while they enjoy total impunity from elected officials?

“Would it be far from the truth to say that these attacks are religiously motivated and amount to religious cleansing? Worse still, none of the killers have been arrested or brought to justice.

READ ALSO: Hunger Has Turned Nigeria To Somalia – Akeredolu’s Widow Laments

“This carnage must stop, and those responsible must be held accountable. It is worrisome that Nigeria is fast becoming a land flowing with tears and blood due to the reality of terror, devastation, destruction and fear amongst the citizenry.

“The increasing and constant incidences of attacks in villages, cities, on the roads, airports, railways and waterways, and kidnapping give great worry and concern as to whether the government is overwhelmed by it.

“We urge the government and
relevant security agencies to brace up to the occasion to combat this monster of insecurity, check our porous national borders and collaborate with local vigilantes, before things further generate.”